Chemical analyses of environmental parameters for water quality measurements are generally labor-intensive and require great care in sample collection and preservation. Automated in situ instruments offer numerous advantages. However, systems used to measure water quality parameters (e.g., pH and alkalinity) are typically large, expensive, and require repeated calibration. These systems generally include individual components that are operably connected to perform various water quality measurements. For these measurements to be reliable, they need to be performed with great degrees of accuracy and precision. Achieving highly accurate and precise measurements in existing systems, however, is challenging and cost prohibitive.